Dr Will Wootton

Dr Will Wootton

Senior Lecturer in Roman Art

I took a BA in Classics at Bristol University. During my degree I learnt to make mosaics with Marjorie Knowles, one of the foremost British mosaic artists. Afterwards I moved to the Motorhouse in North Yorkshire where I worked with her daughter, Rosie Skaife, on the completion of a large-scale wall mosaic depicting the Atlantic Rainforest.

In 1999 I returned to academic study, completing the MPhil and DPhil in Classical Archaeology at Oxford University. I was supervised by Bert Smith and wrote my thesis on the techniques of production of Hellenistic and Roman mosaics. I have been involved in archaeological excavations in Britain, Bulgaria, Israel, Italy (Rome and Pompeii) and Libya, and have also participated in conservation projects in Jordan and Palestine.

My research focuses on craft production in antiquity. I am particularly interested in the intersections between materials and techniques as well as craftsmen and clients. I have worked extensively on the making of mosaics from the Hellenistic period into Late Antiquity publishing in journals, books and conference proceedings. I am fascinated by process and the practical aspects of making play an important part in my work. I have spent time making mosaics and have recently been developing new research trajectories on ancient stone working which incorporate workshops with sculptors. I am currently the principal investigator on a Leverhulme-funded project on Roman stone carving and have received funding from the Getty Foundation to put on workshops in Libya on mosaic conservation and site management.

I am happy to supervise students at doctoral level in subjects related to any of my research interests.